Moreno Hofland (Team LottoNL-Jumbo) sprinted to victory on stage two of the Tour de Yorkshire at York Racecourse.

The Dutchman ended his team’s winless start to the season by outsprinting Matteo Pelucchi (IAM Cycling) on the long finishing straight.

It came after a late attack from Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing) was caught just short, while Lars Petter Nordhaug (Team Sky) finished safely in the bunch to hold his overall lead going into the final day.

A large break was allowed to go clear early in the day, with Team Wiggins’ Andy Tennant, Mark McNally (Madison-Genesis) and Matt Brammeier (MTN-Qhubeka) all part of the move.

It was not a move short on quality, with Nicolas Edet (Cofidis) and Bert de Backer (Giant-Alpecin) also there, but they were allowed to build up a sizable lead of more than five minutes before Team Sky started to work to pull them back.

McNally – who won the King of the Mountains classification at the Tour of Britain – and De Backer burst clear of their former breakaway colleagues as they hit the York finishing circuit, staving off the peloton into the closing kilometres.

Roompot-Orange Peloton, One Pro Cycling and IAM Cycling joined Team Sky on the front of the bunch, however, stringing the peloton out as they ramped up the pace.

NFTO also joined the proceedings on the front, while McNally was distanced by De Backer with five kilometres remaining up the road as attention turned to the expected bunch sprint.

De Backer had still not been caught as they approached the final two kilometres, prompting Loic Chetout (Cofidis) to attack.

The two were finally caught under the flame rouge, but Greg van Avermaet immediately launched a long sprint – staying clear until the final 100 metres.

That did not deter the chief sprinters, however, as Pelucchi and Hofland led the sprint out from the front.

And the Dutchman proved strongest, earning his first victory of the season in the process and finally ending his team’s winless start to the season.

Yorkshireman Russ Downing was the first Brit home, meanwhile, finishing seventh for Cult Energy Pro Cycling.

Tour de Yorkshire 2015: stage two – result

1) Moreno Hofland (NED) – Team LottoNL-Jumbo – 3.57.58hrs
2) Matteo Pelucchi (ITA) – IAM Cycling – ST
3) Roman Sinkeldam (NED) – Giant-Alpecin
4) Jempy Drucker (NED) – BMC Racing
5) Dylan Groenewegen (NED) – Roompot Orange Peloton
6) Andre Looij (NED) – Roompot Orange Peloton
7) Russ Downing (GBR) – Cult Energy Pro Cycling
8) Andreas Stauff (GER) – MTN-Qhubeka
9) Harry Tanfield (GBR) – Condor-JLT
10) Pieter Vanspeybrouck (BEL) – Topsport-Vlaanderen Baloise

General classification

1) Lars-Petter Nordhaug (NOR) – Team Sky – 8.20.26hrs
2) Samuel Sanchez (ESP) – BMC Racing +10”
3) Thomas Voeckler (FRA) – Team Europcar – ST
4) Stephane Rossetto (FRA) – Cofidis +12”
5) Philip Deignan (IRL) – Team Sky +16”
6) Anthony Turgis (FRA) – Cofidis +1.18
7) Greg van Avermaet (BEL) – BMC Racing +1.20
8) Erick Rowsell (GBR) – Madison-Genesis – ST
9) Ben Hermans (BEL) – BMC Racing +1.23
10) Richard Handley (GBR) – JLT-Condor +1.26